Lap winding machine



Filed April 23, 1934 3 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR! ATTORNY- June 23, 1936.JQNES 2,045,469

LAP WINDING MACHINE Filed April 23, 1934 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 June 23, 1936.R. M. JONES LAP WINDING MACHINE Filed April 23, 1954 5 Sheets-Sheet 5VENTOR 75, ATTORNEY Patented June 23, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICELAP MACHINE Application April 23, 1934, Serial No. 721,918

11 Claims. (CL 19 158) This invention relates tolap winding machines ofthe character used in the textile industry, and it will be hereindisclosed as embodied in a machine of the type known commercially as a"silver lap machine, it being understood, however, that some features ofthe invention'are also useful in other machines of a similar character,such as ribbon lap machines and ballers.

In a sliver lap machine a sliver or series of slivers are wound on aspool or core, usually immediately before or after and in connectionwith a drawing operation, and the lap so produced later is transferredto another machine where the slivers are further drawn, are spun, or aretreated in some other manner. In prior commercial machines for doingthis work the mechanisms for holding the spools in the machine duringthe winding operation have been so organized that an excessiveproportion of the entire time required to wind the lap, remove it,replace the spool, and start the winding of a new lap is occupied merelyin the dofilng operation; that is, the removal of the completed lap andthe steps necessary to start winding again on an empty spool. Thepresent invention is especially concerned with this problem, and it aimsto improve machines of this general character with a view to reducingthe labor involved in the dofling operation and materially shorteningthe time required by it. V

The nature of the invention will be readily understood from thefollowing description when read in connection with the accompanyingdrawings, and the novel features will be particularly pointed out in theappended claims.

In the drawings,

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a sliver lap machine embodying featuresof this invention;

Fig. 2 is a vertical, sectional view through the spool supporting andguiding mechanism of the machine shown in Fig. l; r

Fig. 3 is a side elevation showing parts of the operating mechanism forthe spool clamping means;

mechanism for revolving these rolls in the same direction and at thesame peripheral speed may be provided, and the usual arrangement, suchas that illustrated in Fig. 1, for feeding the sliver or slivers forwardto the winding rolls may be employed. Referring more particularly toFig. 2, it will be seen that the spool or core 4 on which the sliversare wound, and which usually comprises a wooden body, is provided withtwo hardened steel washers or collars 5-5, set into the opposite endsthereof, and surrounding the end portions of the central bore of thespool, these washers being connected by suitable tie rods 6. Other coreor spool constructions can be used in place of that shown provided theyhave the necessary strength and other characteristics required tosatisfy the practical requirements for such devices. For the purpose ofsupporting the spool in winding relationship to the rolls 2 and 3, twoclamping members are arranged to engage its opposite ends and grip itsecurely between them. The clamping member at the right in Fig. 2comprises a disk or head I, mounted on a hub or stub shaft 8, which'issupported in roller bearings II) for rotation about its own axis. Theother clamping member is a duplicate of that just described andcorresponding parts of it are indicated by the same, but primednumerals. The disks of these two clamping members are secured to theirrespective hubs at short distances from the inner ends of the latter sothat those portions of the hubs projecting toward each other and beyondthe inner faces of the disks serve as pintles or stub shafts to supportand center the core or spool 4, and thus to provide for the rotation ofthe spool about its own axis by its peripheral engagement with thewinding rolls 2 and 3, the clamping members revolving in unison with thespool.

As the winding operation progresses the axis of the spool moves upwardlyaway from the peripheral surfaces of the winding rolls, and in order tomaintain a firm driving contact between the rolls and the lap, and atthe same time to produce the pressure necessary to make a hard lap,means is provided to resist the upward movement of the spool. Thisarrangement comprises two racks l2 and I2, meshing with gears, one

of which is shown in Fig. 1 at I 3, and both of which are secured faston the shaft I 4. A band brake mechanism acts on the peripherybkthebrake wheel l5 secured fast on the shaft I 4 to resist rotation of thisshaft, .the brake pressure being applied by a lever l6 carrying anadjustable weight This mechanism is similar to that 3 used heretofore.

In this machine, however, the racks l2 and I2 are provided at theirupper ends with heads I8 and I8 in which the roller bearings l8 and Ill,respectively, are mounted, and these heads are guided vertically ingrooved guideways 20 and 20', respectively, best shown in Fig. 4,carried by, or forming parts of, the side frames of the machine.

In order to produce the proper operative engagement of the clampingmembers with the ends of the spool, it is necessary to force thesemembers inwardly toward each other with considerable pressure and tomaintain them in their clamping relationship to the spool while thespool moves away from the rolls as the winding operation progresses.This function is performed by a mechanism which comprises two thrustplates or bars 22 and 22' mounted at opposite sides of the machine framein position to bear against the outer ends of the two hubs 8 and 8'. Thehubs slide on the bars, or have a movement of translation relatively tothem, so that the bars hold the clamping members pressed firmly againstthe opposite ends of the lap throughout the entire winding operation. Ananti-friction device is provided between the thrust bar 22 and its hub 8consisting of a ball 23 for engaging the face of the bar and a hardenedplug or step 24 set into the hub and providing a bearing for the ball23, similar parts being used at the opposite side of the machine.Preferably, also, a hardened steel wear plate 25 is set into the bar 22,as best shown in Fig. 4, for the ball 23 to run on. Also, since most ofthe pressure is applied through the central portion of the bar, thismember is provided with an integral flange 26 projecting outwardly atright angles to the main body of the bar and serving to stiffen thispart and to add materially to its rigidity.

The supporting means for the thrust bars 22 comprises upper and lowerpairs of parallel links 21 and 28, respectively, these links serving tohold the face of the bar in a vertical position as it is moved inward oroutward. The same arrangement is provided for the bar 22' andconsequently, the inner faces of both bars are held parallel to eachother and in vertical planes at all times. Pivoted to the lower end ofthe bar 22 is a link 30, Figs. 1, 2, and 3, which is also connected atits lower end to the horizontal arm of a bell crank lever 3| securedfast on a rocker shaft 32 that extends horizontally through the machinefrome one side to the other. The upright arm 33 of this lever is alsopivoted to one end of a rod 34 which extends forwardly to the front ofthe machine and is there provided with a large eye 35 in which aneccentric disk 36 is fitted. This disk is made integral with, or issecured rigidly to, a handle 31 which is mounted to rotate on a stud 38that is secured in a part of the machine frame. It will be clear from aninspection of Figs. 2 and 3 that when the handle 31 is in its full lineposition, Fig. 3, the center of the eccentric 38 then is slightly pastthe dead center position with reference to the stud 38 and the rod 34.Further movement of the handle in this direction is prevented by theengagement of a lug 40 on the handle with a portion of the rod 84. Inthis position both thrust bars 22 and 22' are pulled downwardly andlocked against upward movement. If, however, the handle 31 is swung in aclockwise direction, Fig. 3, into the dotted line position there shown,it will operate through the connections above described to raise thethrust bars, and this movement will also resuit in swinging the barsoutwardly away from each other-because of the action oi the parallellink mechanisms on which they are supported. thus releasing the pressureof the clamping members on the spool, In fact, this movement posi- 5tively withdraws the ends of the shafts or hubs 8-8 from the spoolssince these hubs have disks 4l4l, respectively, secured rigidly to theirouter ends. and running in grooves 42-42 and 42'42', Figs. 2 and 4,formed in the thrust bars 22--22', respectively.

In using this machine a spool or core is placed in the machine while thehandle 3! is in its dotted line position, Fig. 3, and the handle then isswung into its full line or locking position, thus clamping the spoolbetween the clamping members, as above described, a short portion of thelap being wrapped around the roll prior to starting the windingoperation. As this operation progresses, the spec] is moved upwardly bythe winding of additional material on it until finally the lap reachesthe desired diameter. The handle 31 is then pushed back, thus moving thethrust bars 22 and 22' away from each other, as above described, andreleasing the spool 4. The completed lap next is rolled out of itsposition between the disks and down into the lap pan 44, Fig. 1, the webof fiber is broken, and the lap is removed from the pan. A new spool isplaced between the clamping members, the handle 31 is pulled forward toclamp this spool securely between the clamping members, and the operatorthen steps on the treadle 45, Fig. 1, at the forward end of the brakelever l6, thus allowing the racks l2--I2' to drop down until the spoolis in contact, through the web of fiber, with the fluted winding rolls 2and 3, the end of the new lap being wrapped around this spool afterreaching its lowermost position. This starts the winding of the new lap.

With this construction, therefore, the dofling operation can beperformed very quickly and with a minimum of effort. In addition, thearrangement is such that the clamping devices are held securely to thespool so that the disks 1 and 1' revolve in unison with the core 4 andthus prevent any lag n of the disks which would produce roughenedselvages. The ball thrusts provided at the outer ends of the hubs 8 and8 reduce end friction to a minimum while the roller bearings I 8 and i0reduce the bearing friction, and the presence of these anti-frictiondevices is important because of the heavy pressures transmitted throughall of them.

While I have herein shown and described a preferred embodiment of myinvention, it will be understood that the invention may be embodied inother forms without departing from the spirit or scope thereof.

Having thus described my invention, what I 60 desire to claim as new is:

1. In a lap winding machine, the combination of a pair of winding rolls,two rotary clamping members for releasably engaging the opposite bersand said bearings being mounted to have a movement of translationrelatively to the last named means as the winding operation progresses.

2. In a lap winding machine, the combination of a pair of winding rolls,two rotary clamping members for releasably engaging the opposite ends ofa spool to center it in position to be revolved by said rolls, bearingssupporting said members for rotation, means for guiding said bearingsfor bodily movement with'the spool as its axis moves away from saidrolls during the winding operation, a pair of racks in which saidbearings are supported, gears meshing with said racks, a shaftconnecting said gears, means for resisting the rotation of said shaft,whereby said means operates through said racks to press said spool andthe material wound thereon firmly against said rolls as the windingoperation progresses, and means for forcing said members endwisesimultaneously toward each other to clamp said spool between them and tohold the spool so clamped during the winding operation, said clampingmembers and said bearings being mounted to have a movement oftranslation relatively to the last named means as the winding operationprogresses.

'3. In a machine according topreceding claim l, a construction in whichthe means for forcing said members toward each other to clamp said spoolbetween .them comprises two substantially parallel bars movable towardand from the path of travel of the spool and between which the spool ismounted, and mechanism for forcing said bars simultaneously toward andfrom each other.

4. In a lap winding machine, the combination of a pair of winding rolls,a pair of stub shafts arranged to engage opposite ends of a spool tocenter it in position to be revolved by said rolls, bearings supportingsaid shafts for rotation, means for guiding said bearings for bodilymovement with the spool as its axis moves away from said rolls duringthe winding operation, mechanism for pressing said spool and thematerial wound thereon firmly against said rolls as the windingoperation progresses to produce a hard lap, two parallel thrust bars atopposite sides of the machine and extending parallel to the path oftravel of said axis, means supporting said bars for movement toward andfrom the. ends of said spool to force said shafts toward each other intooperative engagement with the spool, mechanism for operating said barsto give them their operative movement, and antifriction means betweenthe respective shafts and said'bars to cause said barsto operate throughsaid shafts to operatively support the spool as it is moved away fromsaid rolls while offering relatively little resistance to the lattermovement of said spool.

5. A machine according to preceding claim 4 in which the means forsupporting said bars maintains them in parallel relationship to eachother while they are moved toward and from each other.

6. A machine according to preceding claim 4 in which the means forsupporting said bars comprises a parallel link mechanism for each bar.

- '7. A machine according to preceding claim 4 in which the means forsupporting said bars comprises a parallel link mechanism for each barand the operating mechanism for said bars includes means movable about acenter into locking and unlocking relationship to said center.

8. A machine according to preceding claim 4 in which the connectionbetween said bars and said shafts is operative to move the shaftspositively both toward and from the spool while enabling the shafts toslide longitudinally on the bars.

9. In a lap winding machine, the combination of two rotary members forreleasably engaging opposite ends of a lap to clamp the lap between themand to center it for the winding operation, mechanism for acting on theperiphery of said lap to revolve the lap and thereby to give it itswinding movement, means for pressing said lap toward said mechanism tocompress the material in it as it is wound up and thereby to produce ahard lap, two thrust bars mounted, respectively, at opposite sides ofthe machine for holding said clamping members in their clampingrelationship to the lap, said members being slidable longitudinally ofsaid bars as the lap builds up, and means operable to move said barstoward said lap to cause said members to clamp the lap between them.

10. In a lap winding machine, the combination of two rotary members forreleasably engaging opposite ends of a lap to clamp the lap between themand to center it for the winding operation, mechanism for acting on theperiphery of said lap to revolve the lap and thereby to give it itswinding movement, means for pressing said lap toward said mechanism tocompress the material in it as it is wound up and thereby to produce ahard lap, two thrust bars mounted, respectively, at opposite sides ofthe machine for holding said clamping members in their clampingrelationship to the lap, said members being slidable longitudinally ofsaid bars as the lap builds up, and means operable to move said barstoward and from said lap to cause said members to clamp and release thelap, said bars being connected with said respective clamping members tomove said members positively both toward and from the lap.

11. Ina lap winding machine, the combination of two rotary members forreleasably engaging opposite ends of a lap to clamp the lap between themand to center it for the winding operation, each of said memberscomprising a disk to bear on one end of the lap and a stub shaft tocenter the lap, mechanism for acting on the periphery of said lap torevolve the lap and thereby to give it its winding movement, means forpressing said lap toward said mechanism to compress the material in itas it is wound up and thereby to produce a hard lap, two parallel thrustbars mounted, respectively, at opposite sides of the machine for holdingsaid clamping members in their clamping relationship to the lap, saidmembers being slidable longitudinally of said bars as the lap builds up,and means operable to move said bars and said members toward and from'said lap to cause said members to clamp and release the lap.

ROBERT MOLYNEUX JONES,

